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Photo by Kaitlyn McQuaid This 24.5-acre property in the 1400 block of Route 401 is the proposed site of a Hindu temple in Chester Springs. The Adhi Parasakthi Charitable, Medical, Educational and Cultural Society of North America (ACMEC) is seeking conditional-use and land-development approval.

Union begins building a structure

Photo by Kaitlyn McQuaid This 24.5-acre property in the 1400 block of Route 401 is the proposed site of a Hindu temple in Chester Springs. The Adhi Parasakthi Charitable, Medical, Educational and Cultural Society of North America (ACMEC) is seeking conditional-use and land-development approval.

An internal meeting for the newly organized court-related and human services employees has been scheduled for Jan. 18.

Court-related employees from the departments of adult probation, juvenile probation and domestic relations voted to organize under the Pennsylvania Social Services Union in December. Human Services employees, including the departments of children, youth and families; mental health and mental retardation; aging; and drug and alcohol services voted to organize under the same union in September.

John Toland, an organizer for the union's Local 668 in Conshohocken, said that the meeting's purpose was "building the union structure for both bargaining units."

"Building the union structure," Toland said, involves an introduction to the workings of a union organization and the negotiation process.

He said that his union's business agents would be conducting the meeting, but that the meeting's direction and results belonged to the employees.

"It's up to them now to structure their local," he said. "We just give them guidelines."

Employees will also decide who'll serve on their union shop's committees and nominate shop stewards. Toland said that the election of stewards could take place by the end of January.

Drawing up a new contract would be the next step, Toland said, though that often took a few months.

"After this meeting is over, we'll see how quickly the people want to move on a contract," he said. "All of these decisions are theirs to make."

Such prospects excited members of the newly unionized departments.

"It's kind of all fresh and new to us," said Dave Merth, an adult probation parole officer.

Merth said the first meeting would likely involve direction-seeking and consensus-building, but added "There's room for just about everybody to have a hand in their union."

Room even for those who voted against unionization, Merth said. "It's in their interest to stay involved in the workings of our union."

Paul Dickerson, a caseworker for Children, Youth and Families, agreed.

"It's definitely a new experience," he said. "It's uncharted territory. We're all quite eager to make it happen."

Unionization not only holds the opportunity to improve working conditions, Dickerson said, but also to improve community relations.

"We hope to give the community an understanding of some of the difficulties we face in doing our job ..and the vital role we play in the community," he said.